Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel will be the guest speaker at the Sidney S. McMath Pre-Law Conference on March 5 at Henderson State University. McDaniel’s presentation is entitled Law as a Path to Public Service. The event will be held from noon-2 p.m. in the Garrison Center Banquet Room.

McDaniel, a Democrat, assumed office in January 2007. He succeeded Mike Beebe who is now the governor of Arkansas. McDaniel graduated from the University of Arkansas. After completing law school, he became a partner in the Jonesboro law firm of McDaniel and Wells where he practiced law with his father. Prior to becoming attorney general, McDaniel served one term in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

As attorney general, McDaniel has been an active consumer advocate. He demanded that payday lenders in Arkansas shut down or face legal action, and he started the “Be Street Smart” program to address the nearly 1.5 million dollars Arkansans lose each year to internet cyber scams. Several pieces of important legislation proposed by the attorney general’s office have been passed, including Real Time Electronic Logbook which creates an electronic, searchable database for law enforcement to use.

McDaniel’s presentation will follow a noon buffet luncheon. A panel discussion comprised of law school representatives and a local attorney is planned, followed by a question-and-answer session.

The conference, which is funded by Henderson’s Sidney McMath Endowment for Pre-Law and Government, is open to the public. Tickets are $1 and can be purchased in McBrien Hall Room 201B or 201G, or by calling (870) 230-5230.